Belt cleaner



A. D. SINDEN oct. 2- 1934.

BELT CLEANER Patented oct. 2, 1934 1,975,591

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BELT CLEANER Alfred D. Sinden, Aurora., Ill., assignor to Stephens-Adamson Mfg. Co., a corporation of v Illinois Y Application November 15, 1932, Serial Na/12,737

14 Claims.V (Cl. 198-230) In transporting certain kinds of material such the channel bars 14, and that the deflector pulley as c oal, coke, clay and ores, on belt conveyors, 15 is journalled in bearings 16 secured by bolts 1'7 there is a tendency forparticles to adhere to the to the bottom nanges 18 of the channel bars. The belt after passing the discharge point, and sooner belt 19 is looped about the head pulley 10 and --='j; 1 5 or later theseparticles cause trouble either by passes over the deector pulley 15, as common in yfouling the idlers thatsupport the belt, by nesuch constructions. -cessitating the removal of dribble from under A bracket 20 is fastened by bolts 21 to the botthe conveyor, or by becoming imbedded in the tom nange 18 of each channel bar and pivotally belt and reducing its quality. supports a bar 22 having a flange 23 at'its free I' 1 0 It, therefore, becomes necessary to use a cleanend through which the bolt 24 is adapted to pass. 65

ing deviceof some kind beyond the discharge Nuts 25 threaded on the bolt provide means for point, and stationary brushes, compressed air, adjusting the position of the bar 22 about the Scrapers and revolving brushes have been used pivot bolt 26. for this purpose. None of these cleaning devices, Suitably secured between the bars 22 is a e 15 however,have been thoroughly satisfactory, partransverse angle bar 27 positioned so that one of 70 ,ticularly in cases where the belt conveyor is its ilanges 28 is at an angle of approximately 45 handling coal. to the bars 22. The bar 27 carries a plurality of 'It is, therefore, among the principal objects of reSilient barS 29, preferably 0f Spring steel that this invention to provide a cleaning device that has been hardened and tempered, the barS being ri 2 0 is particularly adapted -for use with conveyors Secured t0 the flange 28 0f the angle bar by bOltS 75 handling coal; that compensates for irregulari- 30- ties of the belt and the unevenness of its own The free endS 0f the bars 29 are bent upwardly wear; Lthat reduces wear on the belt to a miniand laterally t0 provide flanges 31,V making an mum; that Vis equipped with wearing surfaces angle 0f about 45 to the axis of the bar.

25 which may be readily replaced; that removes all, The flanges 31 are apertured at 32 t0 receive 30 or practically all material which adheres to the bOltS 33 Which are held in place On'the ilangee belt; and that is inexpensive to manufacture and by nutS 34. The head 0f the belt may be provided install. with integral wing lugs 35 or the head may be f Further and other objects and advantages will Inade Cylindrical and then pierced with a suitable "3 0 .become apparent as the disclosure proceeds and Cotter Din t0 DIOVide laterally extending lugS- 85 the description is read in conjunction with the ac- The Wiper blade indicated at 36 iS rectangular .companying drawings, in which in shape and made of hard steel. It is provided x Fig..1 isa fragmentary, elevational View of the with a central aperture 37 having wing recesses head end of a belt conveyor equipped with the 33 corresponding in dimension to the laterally cleaning deviceI of this invention; extending lugs 35 of the bolts v33. The wiper blade 90 n Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing a modimay, therefore, be secured to the arms 29 by Vrlcation of the invention; slipping the blade over the bolt 33 and then turn- Fig. 3 is a sectional Vview taken on the line 3--3 ing it through an angle of 90. The thickness of Fg 1; of the blade being substantially the same as the :'40 Fig. 4 is a sectional View showing the manner distance between the lugs 35 and the flange 31 95 Yin which the wiper blade is detachably secured causes the blade to be firmly though not rigidly to the supporting arm; held in cross-wise position.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the By referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the spring arm; and

. spring arms 29 are spaced apart at distances that :34,5 Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the wiper blade, will cause the blades tooverlap one another in 100 It will be understood that the specific illustraoperating 0n the belt, which is shown in Fig. 3 in tion and description of preferred formsof the dotted lines. In other words, as the belt leaves Ainvention are for the purpose of disclosure only the head pulley 10 on thestart of its return run, Vand do not impose limitations upon the appended the underside of the belt is scraped With blades '50 claims, except as may be required by the .prior that are yieldingly urged against the belt. The 195 art. overlapping of the blades insures that the entire I Although only one side of a belt conveyor has Width of the belt will be effectively cleaned, and beenshown'in the drawings, it will be understood their loose connection with the bars 29 permits that the head pulley-10 is journalled in bearings them to adjust themselves tothe contour ofthe 11,-secure'd by bolts 12rto the upper anges 13 of belt. f 110 One of the advantages of the cleaning device that has just been described is that it accommodates itself to the irregularities of the belt and to its sag. Since several blades are used for cleaning the belt, each being mounted on a separate resilient arm, the entire width of the belt will be subjected to a scraping action; It is obvious thatv this is far morev advantageous than where a single scraper is used because insuch a case, part of the scraper may be bearing heavily against the belt while some other part does not even touch it.

Another feature of the invention is thatt'he blades are quickly detachable-from the arms 29 for replacement when theyobecome worn out. Before it becomes necessary for them to be replaced, however, they may be inverted to permit the other long edge of the blade to be used as a working surface.

Obviously when the wear of the blades has nprogressed to suchan extent that the'farms 29 vnolonger force them against 'the belt, areadjustment of the bars 22 Vrenews the -eifectivenessof vthe device.

In Vplace of the threaded adjustment of the bar 22, as shown in Fig. l, it is possible to employ 'the counterweight 3.9, as shown in IFig. 2 in kwh-ich case the bar 40 corresponding to the bar 22 in Fig. l is extended Ybeyond the bracket 20 to sup'- port *the counterweight.

"Will vary according to conditions'of-use', the following dimensions of the wiper blade 36* and spring arm 29 are given merely by way of illus,- tration: v v

The arm 29 may have 4an overall length of ninev inches, a width of one inch and a thickness of .0756 of an inch. The wiper blade may be six inches long, two inches wide and have a thickness of .0259 inch.

What I claim is:

1. 'In combination with a belt' conveyor, abelt cleaner for removing material adhering to the belt after the load has been dischargedfsaid cleaner comprising a resilient arm and -a blade mounted on the arm engageable Ywith the surface 'of thebelt and tiltable 'around'anaxis substantially perpendicularto the hat blade surface.

2. In combination with a belt conveyor, a belt cleaner for removing material adhering to the belt after the load has beendiseharged, said cleaner including a scraping'blade having at least two scraping edges, and means forpivotally mounting the'scraping `blade so that either o'f the edges Ymay be yieldingly pressed against the belt, to follow lateral tiltingfthereof.

AFor use witha belt conveyor,- a scraper comprising a resilient flat bar, and a blade -pivotally secured to -o-neend ofthe bar 'whereby it follows Vlater-al tilting aswell as vertical movement 4of lthe belt at the point-where the scraper is installed.

.1.l1"or'use witha'belt conveyor, a scraper 'comprising a resilient flat bar, and ablade pivotally secured to one end of the bar adapted to follow lateral tilting of the belt, said blade being made of relatively thin hard metal.

5. In combination with a belt conveyor, a belt cleaner for removing material adhering to the belt after the load has been discharged, said cleaner comprising a plurality of Scrapers, each scraper being Vshort relative to the vbelt width and'beingmade of relatively thin hardmetal, and resilient arms individually supporting the scrapers in yielding engagement with the belt, said Scrapers being pivotally mounted on the arms.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a cleaner for removing material adhering to a conveyor belt after theload has been discharged, comprising-azplural-ity of blades narrower than the belt for scraping the surface of the belt, Aand means carrying the blades upon pivots and rpressing them yieldably against the belt, whereby the blades follow lateral tilting of the portions of the belt against which they bear. i

'7. In a conveying system, a conveyorbeltrunning on pulleys, `a blade adapted to .scrape ad'- lhering material from the belt, fbearing against v-th'e vbeltat Va point between two of the pulleys, and means carrying 4the blade upon a pivot and 100 pressing it yieldably against the A"belt, whereby it follows lateral tilting of the portion of 'the Vbelt against which it bears.

8. In a conveying system, a conveyor belt run- -ning over pulleys, a plurality vof thin 'in'ieXible 11105 Scrapers bearing against the belt between two l pulleys, each scraper being `substantially ynarrower than the belt, and separate means forholdin'g .each scraper tiltably and yieldably against the belt, whereby each scraper is maintained pressed E10 against the moving Jbelt at all points along .its

l edge.

9.' In a conveying system, a conveyorbelt running over pulleys, a plurality of .scrapersnarrow relatively to the belt, bearing against Ythe fbelt 115 at a point rbetween Vtwo of the pulleys, and'tilt.- `-able to lfollow'the movements ofthe lbelt, .and separate means for holding each scraper 'yield'- ably against thev belt through ya pivot mounting.

10. Inan apparatusiof the class described, a T 'cleaner for removing adhering Amaterial from a conveyor belt, comprising .a plurality .of rigid, thin Scrapers, narrow relatively to the belt, sand "separate means for holding each scraper tiltably 'and yieldably against the belt, whereby -ea'chf125 scraper is held in contact `with the moving. belt for the full length of its scraping edge, lwhatever maiy be the changes in contourv of "the moving bel 11. In an apparatus of theclass described, 1a '130 cleaner for removing fromV a conveyor belt .material that adheres aftertliegload is discharged, comprising a plurality of yScrapers that are narrower than the belt and separate means` for .holding each scraper yieldably and tiltably i against the belt, whereby the scrapers vare all held in full contact with thebelt,iwhatever;may be thesmovementsofany one of rthemin following movements of the belt.

12. In av system for conveyingmater'als'on a 'c3140 conveyor belt, aV cleaner for removing adhering material from Athe belt after Ythe discharge of the load therefrom, comprising ,-a bladepf-.rel-aitively thin hard metal for scraping'the, surface of thebelt, and means carrying the blade -on a pivot and pressing it tiltably and yieldably against the belt, whereby thegfblade follows lateral tilting of the portion-of thebelt against which-it bears.

l1.3. In aconveying system, a conveyor belt run- Y .ning over pulleys, :a plurality of rigid thin -blades conveyor belt running on pulleys, a plurality of thin Scrapers of hard material narrow relatively to the belt and bearing against the belt at a point between two pulleys, and separate means for holding each scraper yieldably against the belt, independently of movements of the other Scrapers.

ALFRED D. SINDEN. 

